Bad bad Blogger again

Well, still Grrr because Blogger still won't let me upload photos.

Thank you for your Harold-Fry-related thoughts and your reading suggestions. I tried ordering The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood from the library but it didn't exist on the catalogue, so instead I've ordered the same writer's The Knitting Circle. I was amused by the category assigned to it by the library: Knitting Therapeutic Use Fiction. I wonder if it's a very large category.

We've had beautiful weather here for more than a week now. If I have a criticism, it's that it's been a bit hot for gardening; however, one shouldn't complain so I won't. The cats love the sun and have been doing a lot of basking, though being black cats and therefore absorbing heat, they sometimes have to go and bask in the shade.

We've been whizzing around for the past couple of days. Yesterday we went with Son to Branklyn Gardens in Perth - very lovely; wish I could show you the photos of their blue mecanopsis poppies, which grow in huge drifts. I don't find them easy to keep alive, though bought another plant recently in a triumph-of-hope-over-experience frame of mind. It's one of those plants that's labelled "Likes moist but well-drained soil", which always translates in my mind to "Will die soon", since by definition if soil is well-drained, then it dries out. Branklyn is a very sloping garden so maybe that's the answer. It's in Scotland = moist and it's on a slope = doesn't stay soggy. Perhaps I need to construct a small hill in my garden.

Then today we went with friends to The Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume at Dalgarven Mill, which was most interesting. There's been a water mill on this site since the 13th century, but the old buildings were destroyed in the middle of the 19th century and were then rebuilt. The chap that now owns it is a retired architect. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were the millers there, but after his father retired the buildings became derelict. He has restored them and accumulated a collection of over 2000 items of antique clothing from local people, as well as household equipment, farm equipment - and almost everything else you could imagine. The owner was there and told us all about his restoration and the collections; and his wife served us tea and cake. Again, I have photos. Should you ever be in Ayrshire, it's well worth a visit.

Now I must go and practise Scott Joplin's The Entertainer, or at least the first bit. You would not be particularly entertained by my rendering. As usual, it's easy enough(ish) with separate hands. However, since the rhythm in the two hands is very different, it's far harder to play both hands together. I limp through it. Perhaps I'll have a cup of tea first.